Elastic top in hosiery or the like



P. SCHONFELD 1,873,487

ELASTIC TOP IN HOSIERY OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1952 IYNVENTOR fi waw ATTORNEY Patented Aug 23, 1932,

PATENT PAUL SCHC INFEl LD, F CHEMNITZ, GERMANY ELASTIC TOP IN HOSIERY OR THE LIKE Application filed January 29, 1932, Serial No. 589,570, and in Germany January 2, 1981. i

This invention relates to a method of working an endless rubber band into the tops of hosiery or the like on a flat hosiery frame.

Stockings, halt hose and similar articles whose tops contain elastic bands are known already, one of the most advantageous arrangements employing an endless solid rubber band without covering, for a band made of solid rubber, and particularly of gum 1o Para, has an extraordinarily lon life, does not lose its original measurements y stretching, is unaffected by washing and boiling, and has no sewn and easily bursting connections, in consequence of which it need not be removed when the stocking or the like is to be subjected to the customary treatment.

In order to attach an endless rubber band of this kind to the top of hosiery it has hitherto been proposed to leave the top of the goods 0 open on coming from the machine without closing it in the usual manner, to secure the endless rubber band to the upper portion of that part of the oods forming subsequently the inner layer 0 the top by sewing if necessary, and to turn over this upper portion of the top part and to sew it together with a por v tion of the stocking or other article concernedso as to form a top of the standard type. This method, however, requires not only a special sewing machine but also a separate operation whereby the cost of production is consider ably increased while the value of the article is reduced owing to the sewing operation and, especially, by the hemming of the edge.

In still other kinds of hosiery the regularly made top is provided with an elastic consisting of woven rubber strands which are drawn through the finished top and sewn together. This arrangement sufi'ers, however, from the 40 drawback that an elastic of this sort will give way by stretching and the fine rubber threads will get brittle quickly while the sewing of the elastic requires an additional operation. This kind of stocking or the like is cheaper than a piece of hosiery or the like provided with a solid rubber band, since the top need not be sewn together. The invention aims at providing an endless "rubber band in a regular top closed by working on the legs or other parts of the goods,

and it attains its object by placing on the top part of the goods finished in the usual way on a flat hosiery frame from-the front a rubber ring stretched to correspond to the width. of the top part and by subsequently transferring the top part to the frame needles so as to en close the rubber rin withinthe finished top. It is advisable to 'X the rubber ring to be enclosed on a tensioning member corresponding to the width of the top parton which the o0 ring is then placed together with the tension- 1 ing member. One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a View of an endless rubber band; Fig. 2, I

a view of the tensioning member with the rubber band attached to it; Fi 3, a viewof 1 the top or welt part drawn ofi' y means of a welt bar, the rubber ring fixed. on the tensioning member being shown behind the bar; to Fig. 4. shows how the rubber ring with its tensioning member is drawn over the welt part; Fig. 5 shows a tickled ofi' welt enclosing the stretched rubber ring; and Fig. 6 shows the upper portion of a finished leg.

Referring to the drawing, the rubber ring 1 (Fig. 1) is fixed on to a tensioning member 2 (Fig. 2) which is broader than the top or welt part 5. Between the rubberring 1 and the tensioning member 2 the draw-ofi 8 bands 3 (Fig. 3) are inserted during the manufacture of the welt part 5 which is pro duced on the needles 4 ofa fiat hosiery frame in the usual way and drawn oil in the cus- I tomary manner by means of the welt bar 6.

When the welt portion 5 is finished, the rubber ring 1 is slightly eased by hand rela tive to its tensioning member 2 and then attached to the welt part 5 (Fig. 4:) by means of the welt bar 6. Then the bands 3 are removed and the part 5 is closed to form a Welt, as shown in Fig. 5, by tickling off and transfer-ring the end of the top suspended "from the spring needles of the comb or bar 6. The as stretched rubber ring 1 is now enclosed by the welt to which the legs are secured ifan article of hosiery is concerned- After the stocking or other article has been finished, the tensioning member 2 is removed from the 1% rubber rin -1 which will then assume again its origina measurements (Fig. 6).

It is also possible to fix the endless rubber band 1 on the welt bar 6 by stretching the. ring first by hand and then placing it by hand on the welt portion 5 which would thus be compressed too much. For this reason it is advisable to use a special tensionin member 2 which may have another form t an the 10 one shown.

I claim y 1. The herein described method of work ing an endless rubber band into the .welt of hosiery consisting in producing a welt part on aflat hosiery frame, placing on the said welt part from the front a rubber ring stretched to correspond to the width of the welt part, and subsequentl transferring the to part to the frame nee les to enclose the ru ber ring within the welt.

2. The method as specified in claim 1, according to which the rubber ring to be stretched according to the width of the welt portion is fixed on to a tensioning member .25 and placed with the said member on the welt art. i p In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature.

PAUL SCHONFELD. 

